China's goal to deliver over 30 C919 home-grown narrowbody airliners this year is facing challenges, with only three aircraft delivered in the first quarter. The delivery pace is slower than initially planned, raising questions about the program's overall success and timeline.

The signal is clear. In the first quarter of this year, just three C919 aircraft were delivered – two to China Southern Airlines and one to Air China. For a Chinese programme expected to deliver more than 30 of these home-grown narrowbody airliners this year, the gap between ambition and reality has opened up quickly. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) delivered 15 C919s last year, far short of the target of 75 set before supply disruptions forced a reset. Even the modest reported....